need your opinion

[sara8887]

Hi all,
I've done undergrad in engineering outside USA and MS and PhD in engineering in USA.
I am applying for dental schools and need your opinion on where to apply. I have decided to apply for 10 schools. I know that most schools are looking for science applicant however, I would like to know which schools might be a good fit for me?

Currently taking prerequisite in a community college (done with most of it and more coming this term), science gpa 3.8
graduate gpa 4.00 and undergrad gpa (evaluated) is 3.86 (all in materials and mechanical engineering)
DAT AA23, TS 22
shadowing dentist: 200 hrs general and 60 hrs specialist

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[princeafrica]

Schools do not care about your degree as long as you still complete your prerequisites

 

[sara8887]

Thank you, in my case is it possible to get interview while planning to finish prerequisite fall 2019?

 

[princeafrica]

Thank you, in my case is it possible to get interview while planning to finish prerequisite fall 2019?

Yes! You can have pre reqs in progress!

 

[Allsmiles!]

You might already know this, but just be aware that some dental schools will not accept prerequisites from a community college so apply accordingly.

 

[sara8887]

You might already know this, but just be aware that some dental schools will not accept prerequisites from a community college so apply accordingly.

Thank you!

 

[PreDenting]

Regarding your degree, it won't affect your application, but it is smart to address it in your application. A couple questions you could address are... What motivated you to pursue an engineering degree to the doctorate level before realizing that it's not the best career fit? What did you like about engineering?

I have a few ideas about other strategic ways that you could make your application stand out given your engineering background so feel free to get in contact with me.

 

[AONLINE]

Schools do not care about your degree as long as you still complete your prerequisites

Not completely true... I had a chat with the Dean of Admissions at my school the other day and she casually mentioned that they love applicants with engineering background since they have really good problem solving skills... Also they like applicants with a PhD as my school’s focus is on research - they might recruit you into their research program. Definitely use your unique background to your advantage.

 

[sara8887]

Not completely true... I had a chat with the Dean of Admissions at my school the other day and she casually mentioned that they love applicants with engineering background since they have really good problem solving skills... Also they like applicants with a PhD as my school’s focus is on research - they might recruit you into their research program. Definitely use your unique background to your advantage.

Thank you! May I ask you which school are you in? I would like to apply to 10 schools and I am looking for suggestions. Thank you

 

[TheDentalSchoolCoach]

I have worked with a candidate just similar to you last year. She ended up getting accepted to four dental schools. (She was from Iran. In her case, she always wanted to do dentistry, but there is a specific number of people who can be admitted to a dental school. So, she had to pursue a bioengineering route. So, once she came to the US and saw that she'd another opportunity to do dentistry, she switched swiftly.)

So, some of the things that you need to consider are:

a) citizenship status (there are only a few schools that accepts more than 2 international students)
b) Community college credits. Schools have varied opinion on this. So, do your homework
c) discussion of your interest in combing your passion for dentistry with your engineering skills. There are a lot you can discuss in your essay, specifically how applied engineering (software and hardware) is significantly improving dentistry and you can be part of these trendsetting.

Overall, you have a very good stat, so you have a fair shot at some good schools. The only downside is the community college classes. However, I think your graduate GPA is good enough for the adcoms to give you a shot.

Hi all,
I've done undergrad in engineering outside USA and MS and PhD in engineering in USA.
I am applying for dental schools and need your opinion on where to apply. I have decided to apply for 10 schools. I know that most schools are looking for science applicant however, I would like to know which schools might be a good fit for me?

Currently taking prerequisite in a community college (done with most of it and more coming this term), science gpa 3.8
graduate gpa 4.00 and undergrad gpa (evaluated) is 3.86 (all in materials and mechanical engineering)
DAT AA23, TS 22
shadowing dentist: 200 hrs general and 60 hrs specialist

 

[sara8887]

I have worked with a candidate just similar to you last year. She ended up getting accepted to four dental schools. (She was from Iran. In her case, she always wanted to do dentistry, but there is a specific number of people who can be admitted to a dental school. So, she had to pursue a bioengineering route. So, once she came to the US and saw that she'd another opportunity to do dentistry, she switched swiftly.)

So, some of the things that you need to consider are:

a) citizenship status (there are only a few schools that accepts more than 2 international students)
b) Community college credits. Schools have varied opinion on this. So, do your homework
c) discussion of your interest in combing your passion for dentistry with your engineering skills. There are a lot you can discuss in your essay, specifically how applied engineering (software and hardware) is significantly improving dentistry and you can be part of these trendsetting.

Overall, you have a very good stat, so you have a fair shot at some good schools. The only downside is the community college classes. However, I think your graduate GPA is good enough for the adcoms to give you a shot.

Thank you

 

[doc toothache]

Schools do not care about your degree as long as you still complete your prerequisites

Schools may "not care about your degree" as you suggest, but they certainly proudly wear those peacock feathers on their hats.